TOPSHOT - US President Donald Trump visits the US-Mexico border fence in Otay Mesa, California on September 18, 2019. (Photo by Nicholas KAMM / AFP) (Photo credit should read NICHOLAS KAMM/AFP via Getty Images)
San Diego, California – The Trump administration’s Department of Transportation is set to announce a $150 million federal grant on Tuesday to fund the construction of a new road and Port of Entry near the existing Otay Mesa border crossing in the San Diego-Baja California region.
The project aims to create a “21st century border crossing” just east of the current facility. According to a release provided to Fox News Digital, the new Port of Entry will feature state-of-the-art inspection technologies, intelligent toll collection systems, and upgraded infrastructure designed to both strengthen border security and streamline cross-border commerce.
“These investments will enhance border security by providing Customs and Border Protection (CBP) with state-of-the-art inspection facilities,” the Department of Transportation said in the statement.
In addition to increased security, the project is expected to reduce traffic congestion at the border and boost economic activity throughout Southern California. The facility will help move freight from thousands of trucks more efficiently to warehouses and distribution centers across the region.
The grant comes as part of the administration’s broader push to address what Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy called an “unprecedented backlog” of more than 3,000 unfulfilled infrastructure grants inherited from the previous administration.
“Thanks to the prior administration’s lack of focus, this critical project sat in limbo for two years. No more,” Duffy said. “We moved to finalize this deal so we can help protect our Southern border and crack down on drug trafficking while preventing tax dollars subsidizing pointless Green New Deal priorities.”
The DOT also emphasized that the new agreement removes prior green energy requirements, including a zero-emission vehicle charging mandate. The department characterized these provisions as a misuse of taxpayer funds and unrelated to CBP’s national security mission.
The project is the latest move by the Trump administration to link border infrastructure investment with national security, arguing that modernized facilities will aid CBP in preventing illegal crossings and drug smuggling while also facilitating legitimate trade.
With construction expected to begin soon, the new Otay Mesa Port of Entry marks a major federal investment in both security and economic infrastructure along one of the busiest commercial border crossings in the United States.
